History of the Butter Bra: How the Classic Push-Up Evolved Through the Decades

The History and Evolution of the Butter Bra

The "butter bra" refers to a type of push-up bra that creates a rounded, smooth silhouette reminiscent of butter. This style of bra became popular in the 1940s and 1950s thanks to innovations by designer Howard Hughes. The name "butter bra" wasn't coined until the 1990s, but the essential design dates back decades earlier.

The Origin of the Push-Up Bra

Push-up bras date back to the late 19th century, when dress styles began to highlight the breasts more. In 1893, Marie Tucek patented the first modern push-up bra design that included padded cups and an underwire to lift the breasts. Her "breast supporter" was the first bra meant to accentuate the breasts rather than minimize them.

Through the early 20th century, brassieres continued to evolve with new designs and materials. By the 1930s, cup sizes were introduced and uplift became a priority. Bra designers realized they could increase cleavage and create a rounded silhouette by using diagonal cuts, asymmetric stitching, and light boning.

Howard Hughes Reinvents the Push-Up Bra

In the 1940s, aviator and movie producer Howard Hughes decided to update the bra for Hollywood. For his 1946 movie The Outlaw starring Jane Russell, Hughes worked with designers to create a cantilevered underwire bra. This bra had structured, cone-shaped cups that lifted and shaped the breasts to achieve a bullet silhouette.

While Hughes' cantilever bra design offered more structure and uplift than earlier brassieres, it still created a very artificial, separated look. The breasts appeared distinct rather than creating a cohesive bust line.

Frederick's of Hollywood Normalizes the Push-Up Bra

In the late 1940s, Frederick Mellinger founded Frederick's of Hollywood, a lingerie and swimwear company. Frederick's was instrumental in introducing push-up bras into the mainstream. The company's ads featured curvaceous models like Bettie Page wearing cleavage-enhancing bras.

Frederick's popularized push-up bras as acceptable intimate apparel rather than just risqué garments for the bedroom. The company's "Rising Star" bra became one of the first widely available push-up bra styles. It used removable pads to allow women to customize the amount of lift.

The "Butter Bra" Takes Hold in the 1950s

By the 1950s, the modern molded cup bra emerged, providing the smooth, rounded shape that defines the classic "butter bra." Maidenform introduced longer line cups and eliminated center seams to achieve the one-piece cup design. Technical innovations like spandex fabric and foam padding further enhanced lift and shaping.

The conical bullet bra fell out of favor as brands like Maidenform, Wonderbra, and Victoria's Secret offered options for creating a natural, even bustline. Advertisements from this era show models wearing bras that shape and support without separation. This gave the breasts a softer look reminiscent of butter spread across the chest.

Film and Fashion Embrace the Butter Bra Aesthetic

The cleavage created by the butter bra made it popular in 1950s fashion and film. Movie stars like Sophia Loren, Jayne Mansfield, and Marilyn Monroe often wore extremely low cut dresses and tops that relied on bullet bras to achieve a dramatic bustline.

The butter bra aligned with prevailing beauty standards emphasizing a shapely, hourglass figure. The smooth, rounded shape provided by the butter bra let women achieve this idealized silhouette in a more natural way than older bullet bras.

Vintage and Retro Inspired Butter Bra Styles

High fashion and lingerie designers regularly revisit mid-century silhouettes and styles. The butter bra offers inspiration through its classic shape and retro aesthetic. Brands like What Katie Did and Playful Promises have ranges dedicated to vintage lingerie including lightly lined, non-padded butter bras.

Some modern designers also take inspiration from the iconic bullet bra. Tatiana Karelina uses underwire and structured cups to recreate the bullet shape. Rigby & Peller's Primrose range includes longline styles and sheer mesh cups for a modern bullet bra look.

The Butter Bra in Today's Lingerie Market

While bullet bras are no longer mainstream, the goals of lift and shape at the heart of the butter bra remain relevant. Here are some ways today's bras achieve the butter bra rounded bustline:

Contour Cups and Molded Padding

Foam lined cups maintain the smooth, even shape that defined the original butter bra. Seamless cups prevent bulging or gaps for invisible shaping under clothes. Contour cups use molded, angled padding to enhance cleavage and lift.

Push-Up Pads and Pockets

Removable push-up pads give a customizable lift. Butter bras maximize cleavage with centered or apex padding. Some bras have pockets built into the lining to hold removable pads in place.

Underwire and Side Support

Underwire remains essential for support and lift. Side panels, boning, and tight banding also prevent bulging and keep breasts contained. This avoids "double boob," maintaining the cohesive butter bra look.

Multi-Way and Strapless Styles

Bras that convert to different configurations often rely on molded cups and robust support. These construction techniques lend themselves perfectly to achieving a rounded butter bra shape for low and strapless necklines.

While the provocative bullet bra faded, its design principles live on in buttery smooth t-shirt bras, demi cups, and plunge styles. The butter bra remains an enduring symbol of 1950s glamour and cleavage-enhancing lingerie.

FAQs

Who invented the first modern push-up bra?

Marie Tucek patented the first modern push-up bra design in 1893. Her "breast supporter" included padded cups and underwire to lift the breasts.

What was Howard Hughes' contribution to bra design?

For the 1946 film The Outlaw, Hughes created a cantilevered underwire bra with structured cone-shaped cups to give actress Jane Russell a bullet bust silhouette.

How did Frederick's of Hollywood help popularize the push-up bra?

Frederick's risqué ads made push-up bras more mainstream in the 1940s-50s. The company's "Rising Star" bra allowed women to customize lift with removable pads.

What gave the butter bra its smooth, rounded shape?

Innovations like molded cups, spandex fabrics, and foam padding enabled brands like Maidenform to create bras that enhanced cleavage without separation.

How do modern bras achieve the classic butter bra look?

Contour cups, underwire support, side panels, and convertible/strapless styles use construction techniques that maintain the cohesive, lifted butter bra silhouette.